SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Esqueda would be considered a step down from Rivero (in terms of their rankings). But he would also be significantly cheaper. As to how well he'd perform in MLS it's hard to say. Rivera should have been better than he was, based on the quality of player he is. But for whatever reason, he couldn't meet expectations. Maybe Esqueda outperforms expectations? Word is that Esqueda will be announced shortly as a trialist for VWFC. And he turned down a European offer (I believe in Spain) to pursue this opportunity with Vancouver. A poster on the Southsiders forum knows Esqueda's sister-in-law (and actually helped facilitate this trial with VWFC). He's saying that Esqueda is very happy to be here, excited about the team, loves the city, and really wants to be a Whitecap. That should count for something. I work with his sister in law and made the connection with the caps. I have no idea about money as I would never ask! Lol. He really wanted to come and play for Vancouver and offered the club to come on trial so they could take a look at him before deciding on offering a permanent deal. He has turned down an offer from Europe to come here, he was asking about the atmosphere, the supporters clubs, living in Vancouver etc. Super nice guy http://vancouversouthsiders.ca/forum/discussion/5565/2016-mls-summer-transfer-window#Item_422 Here's Weber's take (The Province): http://theprovince.com/sports/soccer/mls/vancouver-whitecaps/mexico-striker-enrique-esqueda-arrives-in-vancouver I think adding Esqueda likely wouldn't be anything more than a lateral move (in regards to the talent coming in versus what was lost in Rivero). Although if the fit is right, Esqueda certainly has potential to give us more goals than Rivero (where the fit just never seemed to work, unfortunately). And Esqueda's enthusiasm for Vancouver can only be seen as a plus. Certainly the Caps need to add some attacking players and improve their striker options, and a Liga MX level striker (albeit mostly a sub) is more than worth a look. And he should come fairly cheap and could be added while leaving that vacated DP slot open (for a future addition). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salacious Crumb Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 ^thanks sid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salacious Crumb Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Pretty great game so far. Nice goal by the Bug! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 (edited) 15 hours ago, Salacious Crumb said: ^thanks sid No problem. I've been following Esqueda for some time and while he's certainly not a superstar DP, he's still a quality player. And given his personality, it's really hard not to root for him. I'm hoping discussions go well and we soon see him in Caps colours. This is a guy who was rumoured to have passed on a deal with Real Oviedo in Spain's LaLiga2 (Segundo División) to accept a trial with VWFC. That says a lot about how much he wants to be in Vancouver. And even before discussions started with VWFC, he was reaching out to Caps supporters on social media and learning about the city and our team. Apparently his questions to VWFC management have been more about the atmosphere/culture in Vancouver, the fans/supporters groups, and team identity, and not so much about seeking guarantees for starts/minutes, opportunity, role, etc. Many similar players would look at MLS as mostly a paycheque and a stepping stone and a way to get noticed and possibly make a move to Europe. Esqueda had a deal in Spain's second highest division all but wrapped up, and decided to pass it up for the chance to play in Vancouver. He's also coming from a higher level league (Liga MX is a few steps above MLS according to FIFA) and is still willing to be a trialist. That counts for a lot in my eyes. Similar to the new additions in Edgar and De Jong, who are both super excited to be joining the Whitecaps and very committed to playing soccer in Vancouver, Esqueda seems to be laying the framework to be a very strong addition to this team, both on and off the field. By all accounts, he's just a great guy and he absolutely loves Vancouver. That's the type of player Whitecaps supporters can really root for. Ot course, his abilities on the pitch will (and should) be the ultimate factor. But character, heart, and enthusiasm can have a big effect on success (and we've seen how the opposite can limit things for past players who weren't really committed to playing here). Edited July 14, 2016 by SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nail Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 They signed the 15 year old to a MLS contract, wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YummyCakeFace Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Hey I'm taking my father, wife and son to the Caps game on August 12th. We want to get tics near the Southsiders to really make the most of the atmosphere. Can anyone please tell me which end zone they sit in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milk and honey Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 46 minutes ago, YummyCakeFace said: Hey I'm taking my father, wife and son to the Caps game on August 12th. We want to get tics near the Southsiders to really make the most of the atmosphere. Can anyone please tell me which end zone they sit in? Section 249-254 More info can be found here: http://www.whitecapsfc.com/southsiders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancaster Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 On 2016-07-16 at 11:02 AM, Nail said: They signed the 15 year old to a MLS contract, wow. Davies seems to have all the tools. Currently he looks a bit weak, have somewhat poor balance (can't seem to stop on a dime), doesn't quite have the speed like Manneh or former Caps Mattocks and positioning could be better.... not saying he's a bad player... but just he's very young and very raw. Imagine 4+ years of training and development... a 19-year old Alphonso Davies. He's just 5'10 and 150lbs currently.... once he tacks on another 25-30 pounds and with more games under his belt.... watch out! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YummyCakeFace Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 So the Crystal Palace game isn't on tv? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancaster Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 1 hour ago, YummyCakeFace said: So the Crystal Palace game isn't on tv? Don't you know? It's more important to have the top plays of the months, 3 channels of the same baseball game and multiple random other sports instead! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 (edited) Looks like the Caps are acquiring DC United DP Striker Fabian Espindola for allocation money. Should be a good addition. Solid attacking player. EDIT: early rumours had Hurtado going the other way but that's apparently not happening. The trade is for allocation money only. Espindola is in the final year of his contract. However, the Caps will need to clear a spot so a loan (of one of the current players) is likely coming. Steven Goff– Verified account @SoccerInsider #DCU also trading attacker Fabian Espindola (final yr of contract) to Vancouver for allocation money #mls 7:19 AM - 20 Jul 2016 Edited July 20, 2016 by SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME Posted July 20, 2016 Share Posted July 20, 2016 Some articles breaking down the trade and what Espindola might provide for VWFC: http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/07/20/armchair-analyst-espindola-center-wednesdays-trade-rumor-storm http://www.eightysixforever.com/2016/7/20/12239536/report-vancouver-whitecaps-add-fabian-espindola http://theprovince.com/sports/soccer/mls/vancouver-whitecaps/whitecaps-adding-striker-fabian-espindola Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakyWalton Posted July 24, 2016 Share Posted July 24, 2016 Giovinco and Drogba each got a hat trick yesterday...it would be nice to have a striker with goal scoring abilities...instead of cheaping out for the bargain bin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salacious Crumb Posted July 24, 2016 Share Posted July 24, 2016 Camilo, did we really need him? sure hope we can get some traction going shortly. pretty frustrating team to watch so far this season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UnkNuk Posted July 24, 2016 Share Posted July 24, 2016 I missed the game yesterday. Was it an entertaining 0-0 draw or a yawner? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Marchand Posted July 24, 2016 Share Posted July 24, 2016 2 minutes ago, UnkNuk said: I missed the game yesterday. Was it an entertaining 0-0 draw or a yawner? Decent chances for both sides but nothing really worth remembering. Ousted made some nice saves, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaNuCkSLoUiE23 Posted July 24, 2016 Share Posted July 24, 2016 34 minutes ago, Brad Marchand said: Decent chances for both sides but nothing really worth remembering. Ousted made some nice saves, though. Sounds like you're describing every Whitecaps game this year. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUPERTKBD Posted July 24, 2016 Share Posted July 24, 2016 Shaky's point is well taken though. We saw the difference between the three Canadian teams yesterday. Montreal and Toronto got performances by their star players, while the 'Caps (who don't have one) were held scoreless. I used to get excited when Perez came on the pitch, but lately, the only substitute that makes me want to watch is 15 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakyWalton Posted July 24, 2016 Share Posted July 24, 2016 11 minutes ago, RUPERTKBD said: Shaky's point is well taken though. We saw the difference between the three Canadian teams yesterday. Montreal and Toronto got performances by their star players, while the 'Caps (who don't have one) were held scoreless. I used to get excited when Perez came on the pitch, but lately, the only substitute that makes me want to watch is 15 years old. agreed..people say I wish we still had Camilo ,,heck I wouldnt even mind Eric Hasli or Kenny Miller..they were certainly better than anything we have had at striker in the last 2-3 years. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Marchand Posted July 25, 2016 Share Posted July 25, 2016 The Whitecaps somehow lead the league in shots on target (by a big margin) with 131. Yet, they still only have 33 goals to show for it (7th in MLS). They're clearly generating chances, but they lack the quality up front to convert a higher percentage of them. Contrast that to the LA Galaxy, who have 34 goals on just 88 shots on target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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